Cassava and sweetpotato intervention in HIV/AIDS context

The generalized AIDS epidemic in Zimbabwe resulted in several responses by organisations including the cassava and sweetpotato intervention. The intervention was centred on improving the food security and income of HIV/AIDS affected households. The case study explored the contribution of these crops in reducing household vulnerability to the impact of AIDS. Cassava and sweetpotato were confirmed to be labour extensive which made them important to labour constrained HIV/AIDS affected households. However the contribution of these crops to food security and income was negatively impacted by the loss of assets related to HIV/AIDS morbidity and mortality. Drought further worsened the ability of households to produce food. The sustainable livelihood framework was adapted for data anlysis. The study revealed that the AIDS epidemic negatively affected the livelihood capitals which further undermined the impact of the intervention. However, further support to improve sweetpotato production would strengthen the strategy employed by HIV/AIDS affected households of exchanging sweetpotato with maize the staple crop.

Autorentext

Dadirayi Manyumwa has obtained her Master in Management of Development with specialisation in Rural Development and HIV/AIDS in 2010 at Vanhall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences - Wageningen, the Netherlands. After obtaining the Master Degree she has been working as a Lecturer at Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe.